Dewey Decimal
Classification will help you on your way...........!
The Dewey Decimal Classification System is
named after its creator,
Melvil Dewey. The system uses numbers and letters to organise materials on the same
subject and on related subjects to make items easier to find on the shelves. Each item on the
shelf has a Class Number on its spine
which is assigned to it according to its subject matter within the Dewey
system.
In the Dewey system, knowledge is divided into ten main classes:
· 000 - 099 Computer science
· 100 - 199 Philosophy and Psychology
· 200 - 299 Religion
· 300 - 399 Social Science
· 400 - 499 Languages
· 500 - 599 Natural Science and Mathematics
· 600 - 699 Technology (Applied Sciences)
· 700 - 799 Arts
· 800 - 899 Literature
· 900 - 999 Geography and History
Each
class has
ten sub-divisions. These divisions are
further divided--and then further divided. Each division becomes more specific. For example the
400’s (Languages) are divided in to sub groups of specific subject matter:
The more
numbers, the more specific the subject. In this way, the Dewey classification
system progresses from the general to the specific. For example a book with a class
number 410.285 would bring you to books about Computational Linguistics. For a more detailed explanation on sub
division of subjects, go here.
Some
call numbers will have letters after the numbers. This is called a ‘cutter
number’. If there are many books on the same subject, they will have the same
number. Therefore, they need to be sub-divided further using the authors
surname as a reference.
If
you require any help understanding Dewey, or you need assistance finding
material in the library, please follow the Class Number Guides on the side of each book shelf or ask one of our library staff to help you.
Here
are some videos that may help explain things further:
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